Aluminum salts such as aluminum chloride (AlCl.sub.3.6H.sub.2 O) or aluminum chlorhydrate (Al(OH).sub.5 Cl) are known to have antiperspirant properties and have been formulated in various ways to prepare antiperspirant compositions. However, when attempts are made to use these products as lotions they cannot be applied as a mist from a manual pump and spray unit; instead the products stream and do not spread out as a mist.
It is known that smectite minerals (as defined by R. E. Grim in "Clay Mineralogy", 2nd Ed. published by McGraw-Hill Company) may be dispersed in water to produce thixotropic (i.e. sprayable) gels. Further, it is known that the smectite minerals will act as emulsion stabilizers. However, it has not been possible to incorporate these minerals into antiperspirant compositions because the smectite gels flocculate in the presence of aluminum salts.
Therefore, we have sought ways of combining the aluminum salts and smectite mineral in water so that flocculation can be avoided and a composition prepared in the form of an effective sprayable lotion, roll-on, or dab-on type of antiperspirant, and which avoids the other difficulties above mentioned.